Reims 9bre 1918

The drawing depicts a soldier writing a letter by candlelight, conveying a sense of stress and fatigue through quick, nervous lines. The scene is set in a dimly lit room, with the brown wash evoking the muddy trenches of World War I.

Forain employed a range of techniques, including sharp cross-hatching to define the soldier's hands and face, creating a sense of urgency and immediacy.

Created in 1918, the drawing reflects the artist's experience of World War I, which heavily damaged Reims Cathedral, a subject Forain also explored in his work.

The drawing is dated '9bre 1918', indicating its creation towards the end of the war, which concluded the same year.